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Ministry of Health starts malaria control program

Preparations in the fight against Malaria have reached a peak as the rainy season approaches in the country with 32 districts being targeted for spraying this year.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care National Malaria Programmes Director Dr Joseph Mberi said this in a recent interview.

“The malaria season has just started and as a Ministry, we have already started to intensify malaria prevention efforts. We have distributed mosquito nets in 13 districts and we are preparing to spray 32 districts.”

There are 23 districts for special groups which will continuously receive mosquito nets. The nets will be given to new workers and new born babies.

Dr Mberi also said the Ministry has procured enough medicine to treat people and have already started training health workers on how to treat malaria patients.

“The Ministry is currently training health workers on how best to treat Malaria patients, village workers included. We have also procured enough medicines as well.

All the hospitals countrywide have malaria medicines. People anywhere in the country can get malaria because people do not stay at one place, they also travel to malaria infested areas,” he said.

Dr Mberi said they are working with the Municipalities in the targeted districts as they have the duty of treating breeding grounds in their pest control unit in the cities.

The Ministry is urging everyone to ensure they are safe from mosquito infections, by making use of mosquito repellents, nets and coils.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors." There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease; hence it is preventable and curable.